Getamej: Fortresses, Ketron Church and Hrazdan

Getamej combines archaeological traces, a church monument and a landscape along the Hrazdan. On the southern edge of the settlement, on the left bank of the Hrazdan, lies a fortress dated to the 10th to 9th century BC.

Culture and History

In the southern area of Getamej, a second fortress is recorded on a promontory; its dating ranges from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BC. Getamej also has a memorial monument to the Second World War dating from 1984. In the Getamej community, there are two immovable monuments of history and culture. One church has been identified as Ketron and is dated to the 14th century.

The church is designated as a monument of republican significance and has been included on the list of state-owned, non-alienable monuments. Since 2010, it has been included on Kotayk’s list of the most endangered monuments. The church roof is considered to have almost completely collapsed. The dating, heritage protection and state of preservation therefore present a differentiated picture of the same building: Ketron simultaneously represents the medieval history of the settlement, a defined protection status and a clearly recognizable structural condition.

Routes and Landscape

The Ptghni–Getamej road includes a 1.7-kilometre paved section that was completed in 2016. Some roads in Getamej become difficult in winter snow; after snow clearance, vehicle travel can continue. When planning, route length and seasonal road conditions can be considered separately.

The surroundings of Getamej are regarded as a landscape with orchards below rock faces and gorges along the Hrazdan. A route towards Getamej involved about 40 minutes of brisk walking before entering the village. A walk through Getamej included gathering rose hips, observing rosehip bushes and visiting a small roadside chapel. For day planning, you can compare paved road, a winter-impeded carriageway and a brisk walking route according to distance, season and the proportion covered on foot. This places different rhythms of exploration alongside one another: an approach via the road section, continued travel dependent on the weather and an access route in which walking itself accounts for a larger part of the journey.

The landscape thus connects the river area with the orchards and the distinctive landforms. A stay in the settlement can therefore be understood as a transition between built-up areas and the nearby landscape. The routes mentioned and the natural surroundings do not form a uniform circular walk, but rather different spatial relationships that can be considered separately when planning your own time.

Archaeological Traces

To the northwest of the settlement, the archaeological remains of Getamej 2 lie in the surrounding area. They include scattered megalithic structures, ruins on the riverbank and ancient burials. Some of the remains are considered probably Bronze Age. The site supplements the historic buildings in the settlement with traces whose forms and chronological classification are not entirely uniform.

Other Places

Other destinations in Kotayk: Argel, Dzoraghbyur, Geghadir, Byureghavan, Kamaris, Artavaz, Hrasdan and Aramus.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kotayk.